Whilst UFC Tampa: Covington vs Buckley might be dominating the MMA headlines this morning, there’s a fantastic story coming out of Brazil after the last night’s Shooto card.
The event featured 13 fights, with a whopping 10 of them ending inside the distance (11 if you count Pedro Campos’ DQ win), the best of which was scored by one-armed phenom, Marney Maxx.
One-armed MMA fighter Marney Maxx scores brutal round-one knockout
On the preliminary card of Shooto Brazil 127 last night, one-armed MMA fighter Marney Maxx viciously knocked out his opponent Estegerson da Silva inside the very first round.
Aside from the viral knockout shot itself, it was a truly stunning performance from Maxx, who first rocked da Silva with a beautiful high kick followed by an overhand right.
As da Silva retreated to the cage in an attempt to clear the cobwebs, Maxx would launch a flying knee straight into another brutal overhand – sending his opponent crashing to the canvas.
Despite the knockdown, Maxx wouldn’t let da Silva off the hook as he then landed one final overhand shot against the octagon side to earn the KO win – the fourth of his career.
Maxx retains a professional record of 6-4; with the Brazilian having now scored four knockouts and two submission wins since making his debut in 2016.
The viral clip eventually reached UFC legend Michael Bisping, who celebrated the performance on X: “One eye, one arm, it doesn’t matter. Well done to Marney Maxx.”
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How did MMA fighter Marney Maxx lose his arm?
In an interview with MMAFighting back in 2022, Maxx revealed that he was born with a congenital amputation of his left arm, with the disability fuelling his desire to leave a lasting legacy in the octagon.
“Despite the difficulties, the daily struggle, we try to show people they can do it… I keep telling myself I’m a badass, and no one can take me down. Only God can, and I know he doesn’t want to.”
To fund his MMA career, Maxx sells jellybeans around his home city of Fortaleza, admitting that he’d “thought about giving up” on his dreams of becoming a household name in the sport.
“It sucks to sell jelly beans and try to make my dream come true but still come back home tired and short of money. It’s very tiresome… I’ve been fighting for an opportunity in society since I was a kid, and it’s hard.
“I had an anxiety crisis and was depressed. I wasn’t motivated, but then I had this chance in a big promotion. People didn’t believe in me, and I used that as fuel to go there and win… When I think about giving up, God gives me strength to continue.”
If you’d like to follow Maxx’s story, you can follow him on Instagram @marneymaxxoficial.